Customs denies begging Terminal Operators for Scanners 

Zion Olalekan     |       

The Zonal Coordinator, Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service, Assistant Controller General (ACG) Aminu Dahiru, has denied reports that customs was shifting its responsibility of purchasing scanning machines on port concessionaires.

Addressing journalists during his working visit to the headquarters of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) at Amuwo Odofin in Lagos on Tuesday, Dahiru claimed he was quoted out of context. 

Dahiru had reportedly charged port terminal operators to borrow a leaf from Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) which according to him provided functional scanners at the airports. 

Dahiru had made the statement last week when he visited the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) in Apapa. 

However speaking at the end of a closed door meeting with ANLCA members, Dahiru said customs was not abdicating its responsibilities to terminal operators and that he was merely seeking clarification.

According to him, the motive behind his visit was to strengthen the existing relationship between customs and the licensed customs agents.

“On the statement on scanning machines, that was not what I said,  what I said was that I don’t know whose responsibility it was to provide scanning machines, this was what I said”.

“This visit is that customs and brokers are partners in progress and we have come to re-establish the relationship that has been there for long, we appeal to them to do what is right so that we would all be beneficial to it”.

“The new leadership of ANLCA came in sometime this year, so we felt that there is need for us to be here to see them and appreciate their contribution to us”.

Recall that there have been several complaints by licensed customs agents and freight forwarders that the lack of scanners at the nations’ port is hampering the easy clearance of consignments at the port.

On his part, National President of ANLCA, Tony Nwabunike expressed confidence in the ability of the customs boss to implement and look into complaints raised by the association. 

Nwabunike though acknowledged that one of the major challenges facing port operators was the multiple checks by officials of Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Customs on already cleared cargoes; he however said that the association was willing to give the ACG time to address the challenge.

He said that his approach at problems solving would be different from that of his successor, Prince Olayiwola Shittu.

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